Hi All. Thanks so much for all of the kind and thoughtful comments on Who?? I was really touched that it sparked so much thought and interest. I released it through CD Baby and did not get much response. That's why I LOVE this forum. It's full of people with a lot of depth and interesting musical perspectives, AND, they are mostly of my era, which I think is wonderful! This song, also reflective or our era, is about disillusionment, and the feeling that you will never recapture that magic that you once felt. The story and title are fictional, not related to any real experience or movement. I chose the name "Union" to create the image of a group of passionate people uniting over some cause. Hope you enjoy! I will catch up with the new tunes on here in the near future. Take care all. Greg
The band:
Bass. 683 Guitars. 1617, 1524 Solo. 1260 Organ. 2692 Sampled Rick 12 elec 12 string by Orange Tree
Union Drive
I went to find myself There on Union drive Back to find that place I stood Last time I felt alive I felt my fingers tingle There was something in the air But still I could not Bring it back from there
I was part of something bigger then My heart was strong and pure I knew that I could see the truth Now I’m not so sure A hollow sound rings in my ears A generation’s song And I wonder were we right back then Or wrong?
Now the wind blows cold And shadows haunt this place where memories live And the hallowed ground where dreams unfolded Has no more to give And I wonder if the power we felt Was really there at all Or is it just a dream that I recall?
Oh the world is standing shaky now On the edge of the abyss And those who say He’s watching over Are wondering where he is Can we return to Eden Are we too far out at see I wonder is this how It’s got to be?
The idea of "Union" and searching for something bigger than ourselves really resonates. I love that it speaks to our generation and its struggles. I'm sure it will find its way to more people who will connect with it.
Super vocal arrangement, really nicely sung. Reminds me a bit of vintage America, but not in a derivative way. You've got the band tucked in there neatly without getting in the way. The solo was a nice touch, and sounds like it could have been written for this song. Super job!
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
Greg, this is a fantastic song. I got an early Eagles vibe from this one. Outstanding vocal Great lyrics and band. Super mix. One of your best for sure!
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
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Brilliant song all around, Greg. I recently saw a quote from a climate scientist who wrote that going back a decade or so he felt sure we'd have solved all of the problems by now, but he hadn't counted on greed and profit overriding all else, He ended by saying something like, 'we don't need a scientific revolution, we need a new evolution in consciousness and love, but us scientists aren't any good at that.' But even less so the corporate loonbuckets!
Some favourite Waoist Adages: #1: Play on the Way. #13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you. #58: Bring consciousness to it. #63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made. #92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
Great song Greg with your harmony vocal sitting in nicely. Good use of the drum intro, what RealDrums style were you using?
Brian Cadoret BIAB 2025 Pro build 1125e with BIAB2023 UltraPAK . Samplitude Pro X4 Suite. Mixcraft 10.5 Pro Studio Focusrite 2i2 Scarlett Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz 3.20 GHz Installed RAM 8.00 GB
Ha! Listening to your Christmas album now too. Another Greg Johnson song ---heck I pushed LIKE (which is such an understatement) while the ad was still playing. Yep, I know what i like. Very good lyrics, Greg. Very relateable. Your vocal can make any gibberish sound good, but when you give it something as solidly written as these... well... A excellent write through and through with a wonderfully pleasing mix.
Hey, I'd like to start a union to stop the use of money in our lives. It ruins everything and stiffles growth more than anything. Now, how many folks ya think would join me?
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
Hi Greg, Excellent song! Melody on point. Very short intro and radio format as I like them. Nice solo. Just a small remark that I think is advantageous: do not double the voice throughout the song. At specific places but not at the very beginning. Especially since the tone is beautiful. Otherwise, it is a very high quality song. Thank you Greg!
It's a wonderful song with a 1970s vibe. I feel at ease immediately when I listen to songs like this. Even in Japan right now, the pop music scene has evolved so dramatically that it's hard to enjoy listening to them. As you say, most of the people on this forum are from the same generation, so all the songs are immediately familiar to me. Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Any time I click on one of your posts, I know it's going to be fantastic. I just wonder what level of fantastic. And, as always, you set the already outrageously high bar even higher. You simply know how to write, produce, arrange, and perform some of the best music I've heard over my almost 78 years. Your music is an auditory art form of the highest quality.
The electric 12-string offered hints of The Eagles, the vocal harmonies of Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, and the smooth arrangement of some of Foreigner's songs. I know—an eclectic mix, but that's what came across to me.
Perhaps give the bass a bit more volume?
You always inspire and impress me - and did it again.
Crosby, Stills, Nash and JOHNSON?...your vocals are always killer but when you lay on the harmony I say "that's the best around"...what a gorgeous song...the first time I listened I paid little attention to the lyric because the package it was delivered in was so captivating...Wow!! and the lyric is haunting and just as compelling as the music...beautiful job Greg...it's ALWAYS a pleasure to hear you!
www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10
You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
For "on the edge of the abyss" song the production is luckily not so dark and of course your silky voice softens that edge. Well captured feeling in the story, hopefully we are not too far out yet. And this forum is our union drive and music is our cause. Your songs and your voice should get more attention around the world, I hope you have still more to give!
I got Eagles vibe, not my era, but enjoyable and harmonious listen anyway, good instrumentation and very nice solo guitar!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
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Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
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Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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